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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26254360">quiet moments in the apocalypse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nokomis/pseuds/Nokomis'>Nokomis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Batfam tumblr prompt fic [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCeased (DC Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Apocalypse, Damian Wayne is Batman, Family Bonding, Gen, Set during DCeased: Hope at World's End, Stephanie Brown is Robin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:26:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,111</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26254360</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nokomis/pseuds/Nokomis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Stephanie and Damian share a quiet moment in the Fortress after leaving Gotham behind. (Set after DCeased: Hope at World's End #5)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Batfam tumblr prompt fic [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870660</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>quiet moments in the apocalypse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for Merfilly for the prompt, <i> When words aren’t enough. 2 Robins or a a Robin and a Bat of choice?</i>  I went with the DCeased Batman!Damian and Robin!Steph with this one, because it's such an interesting dynamic. Originally <a href="https://nokomiss.tumblr.com/post/625893409411989504/merfilly-you-actually-get-a-bonus-minific-since">posted on tumblr.</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Quiet moments were more easily found in the apocalypse than Steph would have supposed, but quiet moments without being on constant alert were far more rare. </p>
<p>She hated to interrupt Damian’s; things had been moving full-tilt since their reunion in the Batcave (over the graves, her mind kept helpfully providing, even though that was the last thing she wanted to think of.)  But they had returned to the Fortress, they were all intact, even Talia, who had taken over in such a self-entitled manner that Steph really, really understood Damian as a person, especially in his early days as Robin, so much better.  </p>
<p>Steph still sometimes looked around with awe at her surroundings. The Fortress was the polar opposite of the Cave, and not just in location. It was bright and filled with light and the air had a crisp quality to it that was nothing at all like the earthy smell of the Cave. This was a place for heroes, for gods and aliens and the superpowered. She wasn’t entirely sure that she belonged, but she damn well wasn’t going to let anyone realize that she thought that.</p>
<p>She was Robin now. Again. The suit had still fit, which was stranger than the fact that she lived in Superman’s secret base now.  It was like a shed skin -- it shouldn’t have still fit, should have felt strange and confining, but instead it felt like coming home. Felt like what she was supposed to do, now that so many of their family were dead or missing. </p>
<p>Keeping that part of the myth alive, and keeping Batman grounded. She could do that.</p>
<p>It had been a simple thing in the end to leave Gotham behind; battle-worn and heart pounding from the violence, she’d climbed into the invisible jet and had barely spared the city a backwards glance.  She’d left so much behind -- family, friends, Spoiler -- and now she was here, wearing Robin’s colors and approaching Damian  (approaching Batman) quietly enough that he hadn’t yet noticed her.</p>
<p>He was still tiny as ever and ought to look ridiculous in the suit, but it suited him somehow.  She knew it was likely he’d never grow to fulfill his potential, so she was grateful that he had the chance to achieve one dream, at least.  He’d told her in halting words about Bruce’s final moments, and she had pressed her forehead against his and told him how loved he’d been, how he was doing his legacy and his father proud. She’d caught sight of Talia’s pinched expression out of the corner of her eye as she’d done that; Talia had no doubt expressed the same sentiment but in far colder terms. </p>
<p>Steph wondered if Damian might believe it, if it came from the both of them, representing two disparate parts of his life.</p>
<p>Damian was in his room when Steph surprised him. He was alone, should have been relaxing in one of these rare moments of piece. His expression, though -- he was still wearing the cowl, despite being alone in the room, and the twist of his mouth, the way he was holding everything in, broke Steph’s heart.</p>
<p>“Hey,” she said softly, taking no pleasure in the way he startled, in the way his expression became even more guarded. “It’s just me.”</p>
<p>“Everyone is at dinner,” Damian said.  It was clear from his tone that he hoped she’d join them, but if she did, she would be failing at the most important job that Robin had.</p>
<p>“I know, that’s why I came down here.” She swept her cape aside to reveal an armful of smuggled treats-- chips and packaged brownies and two precious cans of soda.  “I stole these from Lex Luthor, so you better enjoy it.”</p>
<p>“I don’t eat junk food,” Damian protested, despite the fact that she had personally seen him do so on multiple occasions.  “I need to keep myself in optimal shape--”</p>
<p>“Junk food isn’t about optimal shape,” Steph interrupted, settling down in front of him and dividing up her stolen goods.  “This is about… about remembering the way things were.”</p>
<p>Damian blinked owlishly at her.  She wanted to demand that he take the cowl off, but she worried that it might be the only thing holding him together.  </p>
<p>“You know as well as I do that there’s no coming back from all this,” Steph said, gesturing vaguely around at the world in general.  “The old world is gone. The lives we led before are gone. But we still have to take a moment to remember the good things, because we’re the only ones left who can.”</p>
<p>She took off her gauntlets and opened a bag of chips.  Shoving a handful in her mouth, offered the bag to Damian.</p>
<p>Luthor had had plenty to choose from, and she’d purposefully chosen Dick’s favorite flavor.  The brownies had been a favorite of Tim’s, and the sodas were the only type she’d ever seen Bruce indulge in. They were tenuous connections, and not the ones she’d have chosen, but options were limited. </p>
<p>Wordlessly, Damian reached out and took a handful.  He pulled off the cowl, revealing exactly how deep the circles under his eyes truly where, and ate the chips slowly. Meticulously. </p>
<p>Steph opened the rest of the treats, eating with care herself.  She ached to fling her arms around Damian, to try to assure him that it was okay, that the world was kinder than it had proven itself to be, but resisted.  She could still feel the way Damian hand clung to her in the cave, the way his fists had clenched in her cape, the way his tears had soaked through her Spoiler costume.  Could remember Talia’s cutting glances, halfway between scorn and jealousy.  </p>
<p>Steph knew that Damian had needed to break down then, had needed the catharsis of tears and a warm embrace. Now-- now, she wasn’t quite sure what he needed, but she was going to figure it out. She was going to keep him safe and, more importantly, keep him from falling into a grief he could never escape from.</p>
<p>It was the entire reason she’d put the Robin suit on. The reason she was here, eating chips in the Fortress of Solitude instead of doing her best to survive in Gotham like she had since the virus had hit.  Damian needed someone who cared about him as a person, who wanted the best for him as a person, without the legacy he was devoting himself to. </p>
<p>Damian needed someone who he could show weakness to, that he could be a <i>child</i> with. Steph was determined to make sure he knew that..</p>
<p>One small gesture at a time.</p>
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